The Darkest of Secrets
by Sometimes Sane
Summary: When Emberflight was young, her mother and another warrior mysteriously vanished. She tries to uncover the truth, and along the way she meets a tom who will change her life. And what happens when her own claws become those of a murderer? Very lemony. XD.
1. Chapter 1

**Emberflight wanted nothing more than to be the best medicine cat she can be. But what happens when her past keeps returning to her, when she is suddenly reminded that her mother and another warrior had mysteriously vanished? She wants to find the real, true answers to this puzzle that no one's yet figured out. But soon, she meets a stranger from another Clan who will change her life forever. And what will happen when her own claws become those of a murderer? Watch as Emberflight struggles with her feelings and the truth to many secrets, both the ones that she wants to uncover and the ones that she wants to keep hidden.**

**This story is rated M.**

**IvyClan**

**Leader:** _Maplestar_-- A short-furred tabby she-cat. Her fur is a light brown with darker streaks going down her back and her legs. The very tip of her tail is white and her front white paws are white. Her eyes are leaf-green. (Parents: Longleg and Branchtooth.)

**Deputy:** _Badgerfang_-- A muscular tom who is very strong. He has short white fur and with large patches of pitch black. His whiskers are short and he has dark blue eyes. He has one of the longest tails in the Clan. (Mate: Stalknight.) Apprentice: Firepaw

**Medicine Cat: **_Shortfoot_-- A very small tom with unusually short legs. His fur is long and silky and it's ebony in color. He has a few small white speckles around his muzzle and he has dark blue eyes. (All kin deceased)

**Medicine Cat Apprentice: **_Emberflight--_ A sleek she-cat. She has a beautiful ginger coat and her fur is of medium length. Her eyes are bright green and she has long, feathery whiskers. (Siblings: Stumptail and Applepelt. Mother: Flametooth. Father unknown.)

**Warriors:** _Stumptail--_ A handsome tom with a thick ginger coat. He has darker orange stripes. All four of his paws are white, along with his neck and his muzzle. He has deep amber eyes that are quite striking. His tail is a short stump as a result of an accident when he was a kitten. (Siblings: Emberflight and Applepelt. Mate: Waterfall. Son: Firepaw. Mother: Flametooth. Father unknown.

_Stalknight--_ A tall, sleek she-cat who is very elegant. Her legs, tail and whiskers are all very long. Her fur is pitch-black, but she has one white paw-- her back left paw, to be exact. She has pretty, jade-green eyes. (Mate: Badgerfang. Parents deceased.) Apprentice: Lightpaw.

_Applepelt--_ A she-cat with silky fur that is always neatly-groomed. Her pelt is white, with different shades of ginger and brown patches. She has large, sparkling green eyes. (Siblings: Emberflight and Stumptail. Mother: Flametooth. Father unknown.) Apprentice: Ebonypaw.

_Stoneclaw--_ A large but somewhat skinny tom who is known for his strength and speed. He has long front claws and is very quick. His fur is a solid light gray and he has bright, light blue eyes. He joined the Clan as a loner. (Mate: Frostfall. Kits: Peacekit, Fallkit, Crystalstone and Waterfall.) Apprentice: Beaverpaw.

_Waterfall--_ A tall she-cat who is quite beautiful. She is a silver tabby cat with black stripes over her back and lighter stripes on her legs. Her stomach and neck are white and her muzzle is tipped with silver. Her eyes are a dazzling shade of sapphire. (Siblings: Crystalstone, Peacekit, and Fallkit. Mate: Stumptail. Son: Firepaw. Parents: Stoneclaw and Frostfall.)

_Endureheart--_ A strong, large tom with a short, pure white pelt. He has unusually long teeth and is skilled in battle. He has a large nick in his ear and scars all over his face and flanks. He has blazing amber eyes. (Mate: Crystalstone. Kits: Wingkit, Soaringkit, and Bogkit.)

_Barkfur--_ A tom with short fur. He has a dark brown tabby pelt with black stripes on his back and the top of his neck. His eyes are forest-green. His face is almost flat, and he is a bit overweight. (Mate: Runningheart. Children: Beaverpaw and Quietkit.)

**Apprentices**_**:**__ Lightpaw-- _A she-cat who is very pretty and graceful. Her short fur is very light gray, almost white, in color. She has a pink nose and long whiskers, along with crystal-blue eyes. She joined the Clan as a kittypet. (Kin unknown.)

_Beaverpaw--_ A very chubby and clumsy tom. He has short fur and a brown tabby pelt with forest-green eyes. He has a very short tail and his face is flattened, like his father's. (Parents: Barkfur and Runningheart. Siblings: Quietkit.)

_Firepaw--_ A young, handsome tomcat with striking glowing green eyes. His fur is ginger tabby, and his paws are white. He also has a small spot of white on his muzzle. He's fairly muscular and taller than the other apprentices. (Parents: Stumptail and Waterfall.)

_Ebonypaw--_ A she-cat who is tall for her age, almost as tall as Firepaw. Her pelt is completely black, as is her nose. She's sleek and her fur is silky and neat. She has one black eye and one green eye. She joined the Clan as a loner.

**Queens:** _Crystalstone--_ A she-cat who is simply gorgeous. She's a silver tabby with black stripes on her back. Her eyes are a deep, forest-green. She looks very similar to her sister, Waterfall. (Kits: Wingkit, Soaringkit, and Bogkit. Siblings: Waterfall. Mate: Endureheart. Parents: Stoneclaw and Frostfall.)

_Runningheart--_ A small yet pretty she-cat. Her eyes are a sparkling amber and she has a long tail in proportion to the rest of her body. Her pelt is a shade of very light brown and tan. (Kits: Quietkit and Beaverpaw. Mate: Barkfur.)

_Frostfall--_ A white she-cat who is larger than most, but is sleek. She has fluffy, white fur that is very long, but always well-kept. Her whiskers are long and feathery and she is a beautiful cat. She has sapphire-blue eyes. (Mate: Stoneclaw. Kits: Peacekit, Crystalstone, Fallkit, and Waterfall.)

**Elders: **_Branchtooth_-- A skinny, dark brown tabby tom with fur missing in various patches. He's very frail and weak, and is missing one eye. His remaining eye is amber. He cannot hear very well anymore. (Mate: Longleg. Daughter: Maplestar.)

_Longleg--_ A frail she-cat elder who was, and still currently is, known for having the longest legs in the Clan. She has tan-colored fur and amber eyes that had grown dull with age. (Mate: Branchtooth. Daughter: Maplestar.)

Chapter 1

All I've ever wanted to be was to be the best medicine cat ever. I wanted to work hard to accomplish my goal. I wanted to help other cats, to know that their lives were in my paws. Saving a life is the best feeling one could possibly experience.

I was born in IvyClan, a Clan that shared the lands with DrizzleClan and MistClan. Ever since I was a little kitten, I knew where my destiny lay... and it lay in the path of a medicine cat. My mother, Flametooth, had told me that I could become whatever I wanted, and that she would always cheer me on, no matter what.

That promise was a promise that she couldn't keep, however.

When I was only a couple moons old, Flametooth vanished. Nobody knew where she went, or if she was still alive. But not a drop of her blood was splattered upon our forest, so the Clan knew that if she _had_ died, it wasn't here. That, whether it was a coincidence or not, was also the day that another warrior known as Stormspirit vanished. The Clan was puzzled by these mysterious disappearances. Some thought that they had fallen in love and decided to leave the Clan for good. Others thought that Twolegs captured them.

Search parties were sent out all around, each of them with news of failure. A few cats were sent to the other Clans' territories to see if they knew anything about them. No one did. And after a few moons, it was a thing of the past.

No one had brought it up for a while, but one day when I was pulling a thorn from Waterfall's paw, I was suddenly reminded of the occurrence. My mind had began to drift away, and I realized that I wanted to know what really happened. Badly.

But was there really anything I could have done about it?

"Emberflight! Are you listening?" I jumped at the voice and turned. I was in the medicine den with my mentor, Shortfoot, a short black and white tom. He had always been a great mentor to me, though I had always felt sorry for him. His parents had apparently died from a badger attack before I was born. His sister had died of greencough soon after, and his two brothers had been killed in Twoleg traps. He had no living kin left.

Though, I could emphasize in a way. While I had my sister, Applepelt, and my brother, Stumptail, I had no parents. My mother was gone, and my father had apparently died in the same badger attack.

"Sorry!" I said quickly, now putting my full attention on him. He just shook his head with a sigh.

"I asked you to go and get some marigold. We're almost all out, and I have to stay here with Lightpaw." I glanced down at the light gray she-cat, sleeping in a bed of moss. She had recently hurt her leg and had been staying in the medicine den for a while.

"Sure," I replied. "I'll get it right away."

"Thanks, Emberflight," came Shortfoot's voice as I slipped out of the tunnel and into our camp.

IvyClan's camp was a clearing in the middle of a forest. Tall trees towered all around me, and I was greeted by a chill. It was Newleaf, but there were still small piles of snow on the ground, and the air was still cold. It was dusk, and the sun was just beginning to set.

I started to make my way over to the barrier of ferns which protected our camp when I saw my brother and his silver tabby mate, Waterfall, come up to me. My brother was an orange tabby tom with a white neck, muzzle and paws. His tail was only a short stump, caused from when it got caught in a Twoleg trap so many moons ago. His amber eyes flickered with warmth.

"Hi, Emberflight!" he greeted me. Waterfall smiled; her pretty silver fur had recently been groomed.

"Hi, guys," I replied, grinning back at them. "What're you guys up to?"

"We were going to go hunting," Waterfall told me in her light, delicate-sounding voice. "Would you care to join us?" I shook my head.

"Sorry, I have to go collect marigold," I explained with regret. "You guys go ahead and hunt, I'll meet up with you later." Stumptail nodded.

"Oh, okay. Say, how is Lightpaw holding up?" His amber eyes were shining with concern; he and Lightpaw were good friends, and she was the best friend of Firepaw, who was Waterfall and Stumptail's son.

I frowned. "Well, she's getting a little better, but she won't be able to go back to her training for... well, at least another moon or so. But we'll see." Stumptail gave a stiff nod.

"Well, we'll be going, then. See you later." I watched as the two of them disappeared through the ferns and out into the forest to hunt. I yawned and looked up at the sky. It was dark, with just a little orange light left over from the lowering sun. I licked my front right paw and made my way across the clearing. There were a few cats lounging around, sharing tongues. Others were eating, and a few warriors were standing guard by the edge of the camp.

I kept my head low as I pushed through the ferns on the opposite side of the clearing. I walked through the woods, my head held high as I made my way to a patch of marigold that I knew grew near the DrizzleClan border.

What I wasn't aware of was the fact that my life was about to change.

I kept going as darkness began to surround me. I shivered as I stepped through a small pile of snow, which was frigid under my paws. I flattened my ears and shuddered as another cool wind went by.

And as I walked, I began to think of my parents again. Who was my father? No one ever spoke of him anymore. And... why did my mother leave? Why did she _truly_ leave? Maybe it was true. Maybe she and Stormspirit were simply captured by Twolegs. Or maybe something much more complicated than anyone thought had happened. Sometimes I had went to sleep, hoping that Flametooth's spirit would talk to me. But she never came, and so I came to the conclusion that she was still alive. Though I was never positive...

The forest grew darker, and there were more and more pine trees. The ground was getting a bit wetter and marshier, and I knew I was reaching the DrizzlingClan border. They lived in the marshy pine forest right next to us.

A few dozen foxlengths away lay a fallen log, and right beside it was the marigold bush. I recognized the orange flowers and I padded over to the shrub, picking some of the herb with my teeth. I had had a nice little pile and was about to go back home when a voice suddenly spoke.

"That's quite a collection of marigold." My fur stood straight up and I whirled around, seeing a figure in the darkness of night. He was tall and muscular with a pelt of pitch black. He stood up straight, his head held high as he looked at me. His amber eyes were glistening and he had a smirk on his face. He was alone, and I wondered how I hadn't caught his scent. I realized that the wind was traveling towards him.

I flattened my ears and said, "I don't know if you know, but you're on IvyClan territory. Please leave." The stranger, if he had even heard me, ignored the comment and walked over to me. Standing beside me, he lowered his head and sniffed the marigold.

"This will be helpful for my medicine cat," he snickered. "Thanks." He grabbed the flowers in his mouth and turned to leave.

"Hey!" I growled, running up to him and blocking his path. "Those are mine. Let go of them. Now." I narrowed my eyes, but the black tom just laughed. Putting the flowers down, he said, "You know, you're really quite cute when you're angry." He stood beside me and looked into my eyes. His gaze almost hypnotized me. "And what a beauty you are, too..." I just stared back, in a sort of trance, not even realizing for a moment what he was doing.

He had lifted his tail and was slowly grazing the tip of it along my underside, across my stomach. It went back and forth, softly and gently as he continued to hold my gaze. He was smiling widely. I let out a gasp when I realized he was doing and pulled away.

"Get out of my territory," I growled again, trying to hide the fear that I really had inside. This tom was obviously strong, and I didn't know anything about fighting. It was obvious who would win a fight.

"Hmm." The stranger pretended to think about it for a moment. Then, he smiled. "No, I don't think I will. I wouldn't want to leave such a pretty kitty all alone in these big woods."

"I know my way around," I snarled back. "How do you think I got here in the first place?" I irritably turned to leave.

"You obviously don't get what I'm trying to say," the black cat mewed from behind me. His voice was suddenly icy cold and deathly serious, and I stopped in my tracks. I slowly turned around and faced him, lifting up my head.

"Then what are you trying to say?" I demanded slowly, my tail lashing. The stranger smirked and walked over to me. He stood beside me, so close that our pelts were lightly brushing against one another. I shivered at his touch and felt a strange sensation go through me... Full of both fear, and something else.

"I'm staying here," he whispered menacingly in my ear, and I flinched as I felt his hot breath against me. "And if you try to get me to leave again, or refuse anything I say, then I _will_ kill you. I'm a senior warrior, and you're a medicine cat... I think you know who'd win the battle." He smirked when he saw the fear in my eyes, and I gave a stiff nod. I couldn't argue, because he couldn't have been more right.

"Good," he said when I didn't protest. "Who knows? You might find this fun..." He grinned malevolently as he pressed firmly against me. I felt as my heart began to drum steadily against my chest, and my eyes grew wide. I couldn't have moved an inch, even if I had wanted to. This stranger would have killed me in seconds.

He continued to run his tail along my stomach, speeding up and slowing down at times. Being as naive as I was, I hadn't an inkling about what was going to happen...

Then, my eyes widened suddenly. The stranger's tail had drifted down to the soft area between my legs, and was dancing in small circles around my opening. I hissed as his tail just barely grazed my sensitive skin. Different feelings came surging through me. One of them, obviously, being fear. But there was another feeling. A sort of wanting that had come out from inside me. And it only grew stronger.

His tail lightly flicked over my core, and I let out a gasp. I knew he was only teasing me, and I dug my unsheathed claws into the cold, muddy ground. I knew that I didn't really want this. But my instincts wanted so much _more_. And there was nothing I could do about it.

The stranger removed his tail and broke apart from me. I shivered and looked up at him, waiting-- both eagerly and dreadfully-- for whatever he would do next.

"Roll onto your back," he demanded, his voice cold and low. His amber eyes blazed with want, and I'm sure that mine had reflected the same emotion.

I complied to his order and slowly lay down onto my back. My mind was screaming at me to get away from there, to just break out into a run. But would that have really done me any good? He surely would have caught up, and I was still far from camp.

The black-furred tom towered above me and caught my eye for a moment. His expression showed no warmth, only lust as he lowered his head. He drew his warm, wet tongue up my belly, starting in the middle of my stomach. I let out a deep growl as he trailed his tongue up my belly, going at a tormentingly slow pace. I clenched my teeth together as strange feelings almost overwhelmed me.

He ran his hot tongue up my neck, and he briefly licked my muzzle before he began to go back down my body. I shuddered again as he ran his tongue at an even slower pace than before, getting closer and closer to my sex. His tongue had almost reached the area that was dying for attention when I felt my sexual excitement rise to a new height.

He slowly and lightly drew his tongue in small circles around my wet core, and my eyes flew open. Excitement welled up in me, want clouding my vision as the only thing I could feel was his warm tongue teasing me. My jaws parted in a soft moan and I let my eyes close again. I had never felt this way before, and for a brief moment I questioned my becoming a medicine cat, being forbidden to have a mate and all.

I twitched involuntarily as I felt his hot breath against my sex, and he grazed his tongue lightly over the tight opening. I let out another groan, this one a bit louder than the last. My sexual excitement was quickly rising, and my instincts convinced me that I wanted more of this bliss. And a part of me did.

Then, the stranger slowly pushed his tongue deep within my throbbing core. I let out a gasp at his entrance and I gave a small, strained yowl. He worked with me slowly at first, gently lapping his tongue within me, against my inner walls. But his motions grew faster and faster as he thrust his tongue even further inside of me, penetrating through me. My vision was growing blurry, and the only thing I could do was let my head fall back and let in all the pleasure I was feeling.

I moaned again as I felt his hot breath, his warm tongue between my legs. He worked with me faster and faster, and I clenched my eyes shut again as a final spasm surged through me. I felt myself climax, which included a warm stream of white seeping slowly from my legs. The stranger savagely licked up the remains of our lust, our pleasure, as I began to calm down a bit.

And then... I heard another voice.

"Emberflight! What are you doing...!?" My eyes shot open and I raised my head. Standing a few taillengths from us was Shortfoot, his dark blue eyes widened with shock.

**How did you all enjoy the first chapter? Let me tell you, that list of IvyClan cats took a hell of a long time to write. XD. Here are some questions to think about...**

**What really happened to Flametooth and Stormspirit? What will Shortfoot say to Emberflight now that he's seen her with this stranger? And just who **_**is**_** this stranger?**

**Please review, and I will update!**

**Sometimes Sane**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews, everybody, I appreciate it! Here's chapter two.**

Chapter 2

I quickly leaped to my paws, my jaws hanging open. Any remaining feelings of pleasure were completely gone as I stared at my mentor. My green eyes met with his blue ones, the shock reflecting on both of our faces. The stranger just stood there, an amused expression on his face. He licked his muzzle, which had small spots of the white cream which had resulted from my climax.

"Who is this?" Shortfoot finally said, his eyes wide as he turned his stare to the stranger. I flattened my ears and lowered my head.

"I don't know," I murmured. "But he wouldn't let me go. He forced me to--"

"_What?"_ hissed my mentor, his eyes welling with fury. He stomped right up to the black tom, who looked at him calmly.

"Get out. Now," hissed Shortfoot. I stood beside him, unable to look at the stranger in the eyes. I looked away, through the trees, and out into DrizzlingClan territory, where this mysterious stranger had come from. I lowered my head, somewhat ashamed of what had occurred. Why did I comply to his actions? I could have done _something._

I quickly shook my head. If I struggled, he would have killed me. I glanced at my mentor, and then finally looked at the black stranger, wondering what his reply would be.

"Ah, so the name is Emberflight," he said to me with a smile. "What a pretty name." Then, he turned back to the tom facing him. "Not so fast, pops," he said nonchalantly. "I'm not done here." He grinned.

Shortfoot let out a growl and I watched as his black fur rose, making his small body at least a little bigger.

"Yes, you are," he replied in a deep voice. "I will report this to your Clan leader if you don't leave now."

I looked at Shortfoot, wondering if he would hold true to his promise. His ears were flat against his head, and I thought I could see him trembling just a little bit.

"I don't think you'd get too far, even if you tried," snickered the stranger, mockery flickering through his amber eyes. "Your legs are quite short, IvyClan cat. You're the medicine cat, aren't you?" Shortfoot held his ground, his dark blue eyes narrowed.

"How would you know?" he demanded, his tail lashing. The DrizzlingClan cat yawned, obviously somewhat bored.

"You smell of herbs," he replied. "And I've never seen you in battle." He paused and brought a paw up to his face, giving it a swift lick. "Medicine cats shouldn't pick fights with senior warriors." He spoke that last sentence not only to Shortfoot, but to me, too. He smirked as he slowly unsheathed his claws, which had caught my attention. They were unusually long, and they looked as if they had very recently been sharpened. He pulled his lips back, showing off his long front fangs, gleaming in the light of dusk. He stood tall and raised his head, taking a step towards us. I let out a growl and unsheathed my claws as well, but Shortfoot glanced at me.

"Emberflight, put your claws away. We don't want to fight."

"Because you know that I'd win?" replied the stranger with a sneer. "My whole Clan agrees that I'm their best fighter. My skills are far beyond average. And I _have_ killed other cats before." He shrugged his mighty shoulders and drew a paw over his ear. "Killing you two will be like breaking a few twigs."

"I just _said,_ we don't want to fight," growled Shortfoot, trying to keep his voice calm. I narrowed my eyes. He was just going to stand there and let this DrizzlingClan cat insult us?

"We can take him on!" I protested quietly into Shortfoot's ear, my voice a quiet whisper. "It's two against one! Even if we're just medicine cats, we can still do it!"

He turned his blue gaze to me and shook his head. "Medicine cats aren't supposed to spill blood. It's the way of StarClan." He raised his head and looked evenly at the stranger.

"Fine. If you won't leave, then what can we do to make you?" I followed my mentor's gaze and looked at the mysterious cat, wondering with dread what his reply would be.

He smirked and sat down, wrapping his tail around his front paws. "I'm glad you finally agree to see things my way." He flicked his tail and looked at Shortfoot. "I want you to mate with her." My eyes widened, as did the medicine cat's. Then, they were narrowed with fury as he let out a snarl.

"No!" he said loudly. "Get out _now!"_ The stranger sighed a fake sigh, shaking his head.

"Tsk, tsk," he murmured. "I can't believe you would rather see this pretty she-cat die." Suddenly, the stranger jumped to his paws, his amber eyes gleaming intensely before he leaped at me. I didn't have time to react, and I felt him push me into the ground, covered in mud mixed with snow. I yowled in shock as he pinned me down on my back. One of his paws was on my neck, the other firmly against my shoulder. I looked up at him with fear, and he smiled widely back.

"Let go of her!" Shortfoot demanded, unsheathing his claws. He took a step forward.

"Not so fast," said the DrizzlingClan tom, smirking as the medicine cat stopped in his tracks. "Take one more step and she's dead." There was a piercing silence, and for a moment, the only thing I could hear was the sound of an owl in the distance. Along with the frigid wind...

After no one said anything, the stranger spoke up. "So?" he asked to my mentor. "Mate with her, or watch her die. Which will it be?" I looked over at him, my heart beating. I caught his gaze, which were full of sorrow. I could tell that he was trying to say sorry.

"I'll mate with her," he murmured, lowering his head and flattening his ears, ashamed. My eyes widened and I let out a weak gasp.

The stranger nodded, smiling. "Good. And if either of you try to escape, then you'll _both_ die." He released his grip on me and sat down, prepared to watch. I staggered to my paws, watching as my mentor walked over to me. He sighed and looked down.

"I'm sorry, Emberflight," he whispered. "I had no other choice." I gave a stiff nod.

"It's okay," I muttered, realizing I was shaking a bit. He noticed, and quickly said, "I'll make it quick. And I'll be as gentle as I can, I promise."

"Hurry it up," snapped the DrizzlingClan cat, growing impatient. I nodded to Shortfoot again before he walked around me. I felt him clamber on top of me, his soft black paws against my shoulders. He prepared himself and whispered "I'm sorry," one more time before he suddenly thrust himself into me.

My eyes widened at once at the sudden impact, and I let out a loud yowl. I gasped as he pulled out; the pain was almost overwhelming. My heart raced and I grew panicked. I never imagined that it would hurt this much. He pumped into me again, deeper inside of me this time. I felt pure pain surge through my veins, and my vision was blurring.

"Shortfoot!" I begged as he suddenly ripped himself out of me, pushing in again. "Please, stop!" But he didn't listen, he just kept going and going. He had grown hard, and was quickly speeding up the pace. He pushed in and out, each thrust harder and deeper than the last. I screamed in desperation and agony, praying he would stop.

"_Shortfoot!"_ I yowled again. "Please!" But he kept going. I gasped as he dug his claws deeply into my shoulders, drawing blood that soon stained my orange pelt. I felt his hot breath against my ears, and I heard him moan loudly in pleasure as he continued to thrust.

I gasped, suddenly feeling very betrayed. He was actually _enjoying_ this torture that he was forced to give me. I began to wonder if he was sorry at all.

He raked his claws down my shoulders as he thrust harder, and I snarled in pain. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I let out a loud growl and pulled away from him, my claws unsheathed. I whirled around to face him, who had a suddenly confused expression. With a yowl of fury, I leaped towards him, raking my claws down his neck as the wounds in my shoulder stung painfully.

"Emberflight!" he gasped, wincing in pain as he slowly got to his paws. Blood was slowly running from his throat. "What are you doing!?"

"You bastard," I snarled. "Look what you've done!" His gaze went to the deep wounds in my shoulders, and his eyes widened.

"Emberflight," he murmured. "I'm so sorry... I was so caught up in it, I-"

"There's another thing!" I hissed. "You enjoyed every minute of it! And you ignored my pleas for you to stop, even when I was suffering!"

"I didn't want you to die!" countered Shortfoot, his voice suddenly aggressive and his eyes narrowed. "You should _thank_ me that you're still _alive!" _I could barely hear a word he said. I was so caught up in my rage that I hardly noticed when I took another leap towards him, slashing my claws yet again across his neck. He fell to the ground at once, his black fur wet and darkened with blood.

And I didn't realize until moments later that I had just killed him.

**Uh oh... this is bad. What's going to happen now that Shortfoot's dead? How will the stranger react?**

**R&R Please and thankies~**


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